VAMPIRES VS. FRIENDS?

Dear Jellybean,

I need help. I'm 15 years old, with very few friends, no bf, and a very small social life. I live in the middle of nowhere USA, so nothing goes on here. I have a very boring and miserable life. I read, watch movies and play video games to pass the time. But my problem is that I daydream too much. So much that people make fun of me, even my so called friends. They especially make fun of my obession with vampires. I love any book or movie with a vampire in it. I daydream alot about meeting my vampiric "Prince Charming". I've tried cutting down on the books and movies, and hang out with my friends and family more, but it makes it worse! What should I do? Can you help me, or do I need to commit myself to an insane asylum?
-Nightshade

Dear Nightshade,

I don't think you need to get sized for a straight-jacket just yet. It's perfectly normal, especially when you're bored, to develop an outside interest. The fact that yours - vampires - may not be to everyone's tastes, says as much about them as it does about you. There has been great, celebrated literature written about vampires - from the books of Bram Stoker to those of Anne Rice - so it's not like it's a skuzzy interest. However, it can freak out some people, who wonder if you can tell the difference between fiction and reality.

Just so your friends don't start thinking they have to wear garlic necklaces around you, it might be a good idea to keep this interest mostly to yourself around them. After all, you'd do the same if it were something else than vampires. Think about it: If you were in love with a celebrity who all your friends laughed it, you probably wouldn't flaunt your obsession to them. No, you'd put up posters in your room, spend time on tabloid websites, etc. - in other words, enjoy your crush in private. The same goes for your obsession with your "vampiric Prince Charming" - particularly because - ahem - vampires don't really exist.

Go ahead and enjoy the books and websites and movies devoted to vampires, but understand their place in your life. They are an escape - just like being "in love" with a gorgeous actor is for some girls. Just like a celebrity crush, an obsession with vampires (or anything non-real) can go too far, if it starts taking over your life, sucking up all of your free time, guzzling your money, and/or interfering with your friendships and family relationships.

That means, don't blow your whole allowance on vampire memorabilia. Save some funds for other things, like art supplies, makeup, movie tickets, or whatever. Don't let your vampire obsession (which is a fantasy, after all) affect your actual relationships. Dreaming about life in another world, as another type of creature, can be exciting and offer more thrills than everyday life can sometimes. But our imaginary lives should NEVER be more important than our relationships with real people like parents, siblings and friends. If you spend more time watching movies about the undead than hanging with real-life friends, or doing activities outside your house (like taking a dance class at the community center, volunteering at the library, or anything that brings you into contact with real people), then you're spending too much time and energy on the fantasy. Plus, you might be so inner-directed that you'll miss out on a real-life opportunity to make a friend, or meet a nice guy.

Make more of an effort to get out and about, and you may be surprised by what happens. Who knows what fun is waiting for you in the land of the living, if you look for it!